Melbourne drug queen Jessica Legg jailed for dealing meth, GHB
A Blackburn North woman raised cash for cancer research and held down a long-term job with Coca-Cola. But the prolific dealer’s life spiralled so badly she was at times living in a car with her dog. Now things have gotten even worse.
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A Blackburn North woman busted peddling drugs across Melbourne following a covert investigation into a Breaking Bad-style meth syndicate has been jailed.
Jessica Legg, 29, was sentenced in the County Court on Monday to eight months’ jail after pleading guilty to multiple counts of drug trafficking.
Legg sold meth, GHB mirror drug ‘bute’ and valium to dozens of customers between July 2017 and August 2018.
The drug queen landed on the police radar after she sold meth to eastern suburbs tradie Danny Vassallo.
Vassallo was under police surveillance for his role in a drug syndicate which conspired to produce a new, deadlier type of imitation meth.
Investigators mobilised and set up a tandem operation on Legg.
Phone intercepts and physical surveillance revealed the prolific dealer was pushing drugs all over town including at her Blackburn North home and a leased Bayswater storage unit.
The intercepts also revealed Legg and her customers used coded terms such as “cold” instead of meth and “same as last time” and “usual order”.
Legg also made deals in various Bunnings, Woolworths and McDonalds carparks and made cross-town transactions as far away as Aspendale.
Police intercepted Legg on the phone with Vassallo discussing imitation meth she had for sale – similar to the type Vassallo’s syndicate had attempted to produce.
“It’s yellow gooey and fake … the stuff you were asking about the other day,” Legg said.
Vassallo was happy so he ordered more.
Police moved in and arrested Legg at her Blackburn North home in August 2018.
Investigators seized meth, bute and cash from the property, and various stolen tools from the Bayswater storage unit.
The court heard Legg moved 235g of meth, 1.8L of bute and 48 Valium tablets while police had her under surveillance.
It was submitted Legg grew up in Belgrave but “moved around”.
Legg became addicted to drugs and at times lived in her car with her dog, the court heard.
She worked as a bookkeeper for her dad’s welding business but was unemployed in the lead up to her arrest.
Legg also managed her father’s factory body corporate while working other part-time jobs.
The court was told Legg had “always been a high-achiever” by raising money for cancer research for Monash Health.
Legg also held down a long-term role with Coca-Cola Amatil.
Legg’s barrister said during her plea hearing that an immediate jail sentence would put his client’s life at risk.
This submission brought the ire of Judge Gregory Lyon who said his job was to “protect the community”.
“I will not be subjected to threats that I cannot do my job and putting Miss Legg’s life at risk (if jailed),” Judge Lyon said.
The barrister back-pedalled on his submission before raising Legg’s early guilty plea when addressing remorse.
“Yeah, but so what?” Judge Lyon said.
“Why is an early guilty plea a sign of remorse?”
Judge Lyon said during sentencing that Legg’s “protracted and substantial” offending was a “serious example” of drug dealing.
Judge Lyon also placed Legg on a 24-month community correction order.
Vassallo and his mastermind dad Dennis Vassallo, Pakenham horse vet Lawrence McArthur and Victoria O’Neil were all sentenced in the County Court earlier this year.
The Clandestine Laboratory Unit launched Operation Hacksaw in February 2017 after McArthur ordered 500L of ‘ISO’ through his vet business.
Investigators intercepted 22,000 phone calls in which the gang discussed options on how to turn the ISO into crystal meth.
These included an option to seek advice from overseas chemical experts.
Vassallo’s son said it was a “game changer” when his dad told him McArthur could convert the ISO into “the grouse” — a code for meth.
He estimated the ISO could be worth up to $10,000 per kilo when converted to crystal.
Vassallo and co also considered selling their ISO to other criminals.
The intercepted calls indicated McArthur had “knowledge of drug manufacturing techniques” and the “chemicals and equipment” to convert ISO into crystal.
McArthur — who received the ISO in July 2017 — agreed his Pakenham property would be the “main location for storing, processing and supplying others with the ISO”.
Police raided Victorian and South Australian properties linked to the gang on February 8, 2018 before the ISO could be manufactured into meth.
The court heard ISO was considered a “visually similar imitation” to meth.
According to Victoria Police, criminals use ISO (N-isopropylbenzylamine) because it’s cheaper.
Crooks have also learned from their overseas counterparts how ISO can be manufactured into crystal — the Holy Grail of meth.
The Victoria Police Clandestine Laboratory Squad confirmed it would continue to monitor ISO after the “at risk” chemical was seized during several recent drug raids.
“The use of ISO as a chemical to manufacture methamphetamine simply enables criminal syndicates to reap greater profits from their activity,” a police spokesman said.
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